The Awakened Ones

The next day was the day we were all going to settle this Xi thing once and for all. The day went by slowly. I wasn’t complaining though, why would I want to hurry for my life to end? I was not ready for this fight. Sure we practiced on how to fight and protect ourselves, but I really don’t feel it will be of any use. We only practiced for a few weeks, I don’t even know if that’s enough to fight Xi yet. By English class, Quint and I stood outside my class and talked for a little before the bell rang. Once Dee walked past us, our conversation cut short and I was given the evil eye by her. My jaw dropped. Why did I get the evil eye? Quint was the one not doing what she wanted. Quint said he’d see me after class and left my side to head down the hallway. I walked into class, ready to confront Dee about that look. I waited till the worksheets were handed out before I said anything.

“What was that look for?” I said, looking over at Dee. “What did I ever do to you to be treated so poorly by you?”

“Stay back,” she plainly answered, snapping her head my way. Her copper eyes flashed like that cat that had been following me and Sarah. My suspicions were right, after she snapped again, “Quint will be back on Xi’s side, you can count on it. So back off.”

“He’s done with Xi, so maybe you should think about backing off,” I snapped back, disgusted with Xi and Dee. She was like a spy, disguised as a cat and what’s worse is I sensed that feline bit about her from the beginning.

I should’ve known something was up.

A smile filled the corner of her mouth and she shook her head. “No matter how hard he tries, he will never get rid of the evil around his soul. He made a vow lifetimes ago.”

I stared at her, what did she mean…? Why was I still in the dark about everything? I began to wonder if Quint knew about any of this.

Dee snapped me out of my thoughts as she hovered over my desk, saying, in a very nasty tone, “You have my word.”

The bell rang and she left the classroom. I ran after her ready to yell something clever. Nothing came, except maybe an energy ball in my hand, but just as I was thinking of throwing it at her, a familiar touch grabbed my arm. The power ball was lost.

“She’s not worth the energy,” Quint began, “Even if she is Xi’s other helper.”

“I figured as much. She’s also that cat from a few months ago too,” I let out, crossing my arms in a stubborn way.

“A Cadron. Half cat, half dragon. She’s been Xi’s creation for thousands of years. A time when Piez was still a unicorn.”

“He’s human now?” I turned to him. I was finally getting more information about all of this.

“For quite some time now,” he stared down the hall then looked at me once he realized a silence fell between us. The hallway was becoming empty. “Sorry, Jill. That’s all I know. Our past lives are as much of a mystery to me as it is to you.” I nodded and we walked down the hall. “By the way. Have you seen Nick around?”

I tried to think, “Nope. Not even Sarah. Hmm,” I laughed, “Think they’re playing hooky?”

He chuckled, “Maybe.”

When the last bell rang, I dragged myself up the three flights of stairs to go to my locker on A floor. While I trudged my way up the dreaded stairs, I found myself being dragged back down by something. It was an invisible hand over my mouth and a certain power that dragged me down to D floor – the unfinished floor.

“At last I will have what is rightfully mine,” a familiar voice said.

I was let go and stood in the darkness. I knew I wasn’t on D floor. I was somewhere else. Just then I appeared in the park but it was like a haze was in the air. Xi stood in front of me, untouched by the guardian stone that hung around my neck.

“Finally the crystals and your powers will be mine!” he exclaimed.

Sarah and Nick then shot out of the ground, chained by a black whip on a dead tree. Sarah was looking at me afraid, her stone still around her neck, thank God. Nick was fighting to free his hands from the whip, but it was useless.

“I have waited for generation and lifetimes upon lifetimes to finally have the power my brother took from me. And like every time, that stupid sister of yours fell into my trap.”

Sister?

“But you won’t be taking her crystal or power back this time. Drucilla is finally mine.”

Dru as my sister? There was no way that was possible. Or maybe this was another thing about our past… Could Sarah be our sister too? And who was Xi’s brother?

Xi turned from me, laughing, “My brother always wanted peace and serenity with each realm and life we lived in and with every life he carried around a power that was so great, not even his own blood could touch it. At least not until I killed his middle daughter and took her crystal. Only then could I stand the power my brother held within him. It was until after he found his daughter dead on his doorstep did he know how it angered me to see his great power. A new life was given to each of us, me being sent into darkness and his three daughters: you, Sarah, and Drucilla, were given his power and safety.”

Pieces fell into place. Piez was Xi’s brother and my friends and I in past lives were Piez’s children. That meant Xi was somewhat my uncle and he wants us dead and for what? Our powers. But what would he really do with that power? Was it revenge?

Xi was cut off when Quint appeared out of nowhere and cut through the whip that tied Sarah and Nick to the dead tree. He stepped next to me, letting Nick deal with Sarah.

“It was then that Piez lost his body as the horned Pegasus,” Quint said.

Xi’s eyes pierced Quint, his plan was being spoiled again. “Yes! And like every life Quinton, you failed me. Jillian was always your weak spot.”

I looked over at Quint. We really were all old souls. We had probably gone through this battle a million times and every time won.

My hopes began to rise.

I stepped forward, “Give Dru back to us!”

Xi’s piercing stare went to me, “Give me your life and power and you will see her in the realm of dead souls.”

“Never! You didn’t get our powers then, you’re not getting them now.”

His eyes narrowed on me and he threw his hand into the air. He waved his hand towards him, my necklace lifted off my neck a little, but dropped. Sarah’s did the same. He tried a few more times, then an evil smile filled Xi’s lips. He then put his hands to the side and threw his head back. He began to draw power from the ground. It was a dark purple mist and had the presence of Dru streaming in and out of it. I became angry. He was using Dru’s powers against us. He waved his hand through the air making Dru’s power hit me and Sarah. I was knocked into Quint and fell to the ground, while as Sarah fell, was kept standing by her necklace. From the weight of her falling, the chain snapped. Sure the stones were powerful but the crappy chains they were put on weren’t. Sarah fell to the ground on top of Nick, her school uniform changing into her awakened form.

Quint cursed under his breath and yelled at Nick to use his protection shield then threw his shield to Nick who put the shield over them, right away it formed a shell around them.

“Why doesn’t anything ever work?” he questioned himself, then turned his attention to me when I spoke.

“I didn’t know you could do that,” I said, standing up.

“Sarah needs to be shielded. Her power level is like Dru’s. You are the center crystal, the most powerful. Remember that Jillian, he can’t get to you so easily like he can to them. But if you allow him to get to you, he will have access.” He faced Xi, who was breathing harshly from the power he used. “I wasn’t expecting Sarah down so soon, but Xi has full control over Dru’s powers.” He looked over at me, a sadness in his face, “I’m sorry, Jillian.”

I shook my head, trying to rid the sadness, “I won’t let him take Sarah next.”

Xi snatched Sarah’s crystal as it hung in the air in front of him. “So we fight,” he said, glaring at us. And so we did.

I used the power attacks Quint taught me but it seemed useless. Xi had two of the guardian stones, they had to be shielding him like they did to us. He fought to break the shield around Sarah and Nick, but there was no way Quint or I was going to let that happen. Xi was strong, but he only had Dru’s powers. Eventually I grew tired. Fighting was not my forte, but I knew I had to keep fighting. I had to get Sarah’s stone back. Sure we had been distant lately, but there was no way I was going to lose her too. Losing Dru was enough.

Just as I stood up, Quint was hit away and I found Xi standing before me. He grinned down at me. With two guardian stones in his possession, he could almost touch me now.

“You’re mine,” he growled.

Xi grabbed my necklace and pulled it off my neck. He stepped back and raised the three guardian stones up. They fused together. My stone growing larger and the other two connecting to it – it formed into a crystal. Xi placed it around his neck. It coated black and Xi’s grin grew larger. I didn’t stick around to see what could happen. I was running to Sarah. The shield left Nick and her and I knelt beside her.

“She’s out cold,” Nick said.

“I think you should leave,” I suggested, “Xi has all three stones, this could get pretty bad.”

I placed my hand on Sarah’s arm. I remembered when Quint took my pain away by absorbing my pain. I was hoping I could do that in reverse with Sarah. My aura drifted into her and her eyes began to open.

While I did this, Quint stood up and stared over at me. It was like I knew exactly what to do. He was surprised and quite frankly so was I. He looked back at Xi. Xi was laughing like a madman and when he stopped, something told Quint what he had to do.

“Jilly, what happened?” Sarah asked, sitting up.

“We need help stopping Xi, our powers aren’t strong enough yet.”

Just then a loud scream was heard throughout the realm we stood in. We all looked back at Xi. Quint had sent his sword into Xi’s back. Black light shot out of where the sword stuck out of Xi.

Xi then shattered. The black crystal fell to the ground.